


May I Have This Dance

by LeeMorrigan



Category: Charmed (TV 2018)
Genre: Dancing, Dreams, F/M, Hacy, Learning to Dance, Macy in a purple dress, Mentions Marisol, maggie ships it, mentions of past Charity/Harry, parties for sponsors
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-01
Updated: 2019-02-01
Packaged: 2019-10-20 09:00:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17619425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeeMorrigan/pseuds/LeeMorrigan
Summary: When there is a party for sponsors of the University Labs, Macy finds that she will be expected to dance and mingle. There's just one problem, she doesn't know how to slow dance and she is afraid she will embarrass herself and the lab in front of the sponsors. Thankfully, a certain Whitelighter is on hand to help with dance lessons.





	May I Have This Dance

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own CHARMED or the characters from it. I'm also a couple episodes behind on the DVR, but I've seen clips/promos, so this is only canon-compliant to about S1 E6, and the rest I got from the promos or made up entirely.  
> I was inspired by a tweet from a fan, saying how they wished there had been a reason for Harry & Macy to dance at the Halloween party or a subsequent episode and after that, this idea wouldn't leave me alone till I wrote it.  
> No sex, gore, death, etc., mentions of Marisol, homelessness in college students, and Harry's time in Tartarus.

Harry let out a deep breath. Of all the times for the Veras to decide to work on their spellcraft, they had to pick when he was up to his neck in papers on Fashion Rule Breakers of the 1920s. He sighed again over his mug of tea as Maggie rattled on about the new spell she was working at.

“Seriously, this is just… Why did they have to use so much alliteration? I just get tongue-tied like I’m trying to make a knot with a cherry stem. Oh, that reminds me, I’m supposed to meet”, Harry interrupted.

“Spells always use specific language for a reason, Maggie. Just as puns only work if you play on the right words and contracts can be broken based on loopholes, spells require a certain specificity to work properly.”

That earned him only a scrunched face before Maggie fell dramatically back into her bed. Harry should have been annoyed, yet he found the behavior of his youngest charge mostly amused him these days. Perhaps because she was so lively and full of frenetic energy.

“Just keep working on it. You’ll get it.”

“Ya think?”.

Harry nodded as he headed to the door.

“Most assuredly.”

She gave him a smile as he left her to the spellwork, his phone dinging with messages from Mel, who was sitting somewhere in town at a favorite coffee shop, doing her own studying for a new spell she had decided to learn. Hers was a bit less complicated than Maggie’s choice, however it required a greater level of concentration as it was a more powerful spell. Mel was mostly working on learning to meditate and center herself while in the midst of chaos. A coffee shop, during the dinner rush was likely a place with enough hustle and bustle to be adequate training grounds for this.

As Harry slipped his phone back into his pocket, he noticed that Macy’s door was left open and that she was standing in front of her full-length mirror. Moving a bit closer, he chanced a look. Surely she could not trying on outfits for her upcoming sponsors event, if she had the door wide open.

Peering in, Harry found that Macy was holding a lovely purple gown to her front and standing straight as a razor. Maggie had gone with her to the shops earlier in the afternoon, to get her ready for the event tomorrow. It did not take an expert in the Charmed Ones to see that Maggie had been far more excited about the prospect of shopping for a party dress, than Macy had been. However, Macy had been a good sport and she was reluctant to turn down any chance to bond with her younger sisters.

The face she was making now worried Harry. She seemed almost irritated. He hoped that Maggie had not talked Macy into a dress far too expensive for the scientist’s budget. Although, from what he had spotted as he walked down the hall, the dress was lovely and in a shade perfect for Macy. No one could fault Maggie’s eye for color or patterns.

Harry knocked gently, rousing the eldest Charmed One, causing her to jump and spin to face the door. Instantly, Harry felt bad.

“Apologies, I noticed the door open and spotted your dress.”

“Oh, yeah. Uh… Maggie helped me pick it out.”

“She’s got a good eye. You’ll be smashing.”

Macy ducked her head down a bit, one hand moving to shove some hair from her cheek.

“Thanks.”

“Macy?”

She looked up, seeming a bit worried.

“What is wrong? You look ready to smack someone. Did Maggie pick out something horribly expensive?”

Macy shook her head, offering a small smile. Harry could see her cheeks darken a bit in a blush.

“I just… I told Galvin that Maggie was taking me dress-shopping and he got all excited and told me he couldn’t wait to spin me around the dance floor. Said that, maybe after we got a couple drinks in our systems, he might even talk me into a tango.”

Harry nodded. Galvin seemed a good fellow, yet Harry could not shake the irrational internal urge to growl when Macy talked about spending time with the scientist. He supposed it could be the after-effects of Tartarus or even an attempt to distract himself from working so closely with Charity again after all these years. However, deep down, he was well-aware of the true cause.

“That sounds like a good time.”

“Yeah, except I have no idea how to dance, so I’m going to trip over my skirt, fall, take out Galvin, a dessert table, and probably some little old man on his cane, who likes to throw lots of money into research cause it tickles him. And we’ll lose funding, we’ll have to close projects, and I’ll get demoted for embarrassing the lab.”

Stepping into the room, Harry reached to still Macy’s hands before she irreparably wrinkled her dress. Her eyes flew to meet his and her smiled, hoping to get her to relax. She still sometimes got a little uncomfortable when her personal space was invaded. More so when she was touched. Not for the first time, Harry wondered how touch-starved Macy must have been from spending her childhood in boarding schools, deprived of Marisol’s care or her father’s affection.

“Might want to hang that up, before you wrinkle it.”

She nodded, numbly, then moved to hang it in the closet. Harry decided this would not do.

“Would you feel better if you knew how to dance?”

Macy let out a snort, turning to face Harry again.

“There a spell that will magically make me know how to dance, like how they downloaded skills in THE MATRIX? Cause otherwise, I think it’s a hopeless cause since it’s tomorrow.”

Shaking his head, Harry clarified.

“While I’ve never heard of such a spell, that does not mean it does not exist. However, I was thinking more personal tutor and less magic hack.”

“Personal tutor?”

Harry nodded.

“I could teach you. We might not make it to the level of doing the Tango, but I think we could manage to have you waltzing.”

“You’d do that? Really?”

“Gladly.”

“Okay. If I break your toes, I’m sorry.”

Harry moved to her vanity, pulling his phone out and scrolling through his playlist. Selecting the songs he wanted, he told the little piece of technology to strike up the band. He then laid it on the vanity and moved to stand in the space between the vanity and the bed. Putting his left hand behind his back and offering a quick bow, he held out his right hand.

“My lady?”

Macy let out a small chuckle, doing a quick attempt at a curtsy.

“Sir.”

“May I have the honour of this dance?”

She stepped forward and Harry met her, taking her left hand to place it atop his right shoulder. Then, taking her right hand to hold aloft in his left, he placed his right on the small of her back. Looking down, he checked the placement of her feet.

“Put your left foot back just a little.”

She did as instructed.

“Good. Now, don’t look at your feet.”

“But”, he stopped her, “No buts, keep your eyes on me.”

Her eyebrow arched higher and Harry hurriedly added, “You should try to keep your eyes on your partner’s face. Easier to anticipate their next move. For instance, if he sees you are about to back into something, you will see his face change and you will know to be ready for a course-correction.”

“Noted.”

Macy let out a breath. In her head, she prayed she wouldn’t break Harry’s toes. He had just gotten back from Tartarus just a couple weeks ago. The last thing he needed was for her to injure him.

“Now”, Harry began, “we waltz.”

Macy found her feet tangling with Harry’s, though he never once complained or grouched. He assured her that she had not harmed him and he kept them going along in her mother’s old room. She did not recognize the music he had playing, though she found she soon picked out the rhythm as he coached her to do.

Not for the first time, she was amazed at how warm Harry’s hands felt at her back and holding her right hand. They also were not as soft as she had expected, the first time she had handed him a cup. Hers were usually a bit dry and scratchy from all the times she washed them at the lab and all the time she spent with gloves on. Plus, the lab was usually very dry and the air quite cool.

“You’re doing well.”

“Yeah, five whole steps without getting your feet.”

“Just breathe and keep track of the beat.”

She nodded, letting her mind focus on the music. The song changed and within a few bars, Macy found she could place the tune. NEVER ENOUGH, from the GREATEST SHOWMAN soundtrack. It was an instrumental version, though no less lovely than the version from the movie.

“I didn’t peg you as a Musical fan.”

Harry seemed caught off-guard, then listened for a second. If he hadn’t been listening to the music, Macy wondered how he had kept track enough to not step on her toes. Then she remembered he had lived a long time and had a great deal more opportunity to practice.

“Maggie insisted I watch it. I found the plotline of the young acrobat and P.T.’s business partner, particularly compelling. They also had the best song.”

She smiled, recalling when Maggie had tugged her into her younger sister’s room, to sit on the bed in their PJs, eating chocolate covered popcorn, and watching the Hugh Jackman movie. It had not been what Macy expected, yet she had enjoyed it.

“I think a lot of girls like musicals when they are in high school and starting college. Most of the girls I went to school with, were avid fans of RENT, PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, and CHICAGO.”

He nodded.

“One of my students is currently obsessed with SWEENEY TODD, although I suspect it may have more to do with Johnny Depp than the deeper themes of the story.”

She couldn’t help but chuckle at that. He was probably right.

“What girl can resist a demon barber who used to be a pirate in heavy guy-liner?”

Harry playfully rolled his eyes, yet the hint of a smile lingered, ruining the effect. Macy noticed the song had changed again. She didn’t recognize it this time, though she noticed it had a lot more cello and violin than the previous couple had.

“You’re already getting the hang of this. I dare say you are a natural, Dr.Vaughn.”

Macy smiled, feeling her cheeks burning.

“Thank you. I’m just glad I didn’t step on your toes too much.”

“Do you want to practice a dip?”

“A dip?”

“I promise, I won’t bend you backward like a pretzel. I’ve seen gentlemen who’ve gotten overly enthusiastic and forget their partner is in heels, a form-fitting gown, and not expecting the grande finale.”

“I suppose.”

“In three steps, we'll give it a try. Here we go. Three…two… one… Dip.”

Harry maneuvered her expertly, dipping her enough for it to be a real dip, yet not enough to make her feel unbalanced. He held her there for a second before guiding her back upright once more.

“Wow.”

“As I said, a natural.”

The music was interrupted by the chime of Harry’s phone. It was the one for Mel.

“Mel.”, they said in unison.

“You’d better get that. She’s working on a pretty powerful spell.”

“Yes.”

Harry moved to the table to retrieve his phone, reading Mel’s long message as Macy moved back to her closet, busying her hands with straightening imaginary wrinkles from the shirts there. Harry muttered to himself as he typed out his response.

“She thinks she saw Niko again.”

“Really?”

“She’ll never concentrate now.”

He had no sooner hit SEND than the tone went for Maggie’s incoming text. Harry pulled a face and Macy fought the urge to chuckle. They really did keep the man busy.

“Go take care of her, and I’ll go put on a pot of coffee. You’re going to be up a while with your papers, I think.”

“Possibly. And thank you.”

“After that lesson, it’s the least I could do.”

Harry looked at her, his face moving through several emotions in such rapid succession that Macy could hardly identify a third of them before they were gone. He opened his mouth as if to say something, then stopped.

“You’ll do brilliantly tomorrow. I’ve no doubt.”

Once more putting his left hand behind his back and placing his right hand and foot forward, he did a low bow.

“Thank you for the pleasure of the dance, Ms.Vaughn.”

She did a curtsy, smiling enough to make her cheeks hurt a little.

“You’re welcome.”

Harry began to walk out, though he paused at the door. Turning back, he saw Macy looking at her dress again.

“You really will look smashing, Macy. Galvin will be the envy of the room.”

His words had the desired effect. She smiled, looking more comfortable and happy again, as she had near the end of the dance lesson.

“Thank you, Harry.”

He ducked back out into the hall, heading for Maggie’s room. She was stuck on the pronunciation of a word and it seemed Google was of no help at all. Modern technology was still no match for a human ear. Or, int his case, a Whitelighter’s ear.

**~*~*~*~**

Macy stood there by the dessert table, looking around as she waited for Galvin. He had called, shortly before he was supposed to pick her to let her know that he had a flat tire and was waiting for AAA to come. He was still having trouble with his leg and these days, the machines made the lugnuts so tight that it took a machine to get them off.

As she waited, she found someone tapping her shoulder gently. Turning, there stood a distinguished looking man she guessed to be in his early 80s, leaning a bit on an ornately carved cane. He smiled at her as she made eye contact.

“Are you Dr.Vaughn?”

She nodded, “I am.”

“Well, Dr.Vaughn, I have been very impressed by your briefs on the work being done at your lab. Good stuff. I’ve been giving money to the school, and to the labs, for almost forty years now. My wife was a graduate of the school and we sent our four daughters. They all got such a wonderful education there, I would feel guilty to withhold from them.”

He held out an arthritic hand. Macy took it, feeling the strength still in those old fingers.

“Emil Straffski.”

Her eyes went wide. She knew of him. Mel had met him a couple times, and she spoke fairly well of him. The fact that Mel liked this old, wealthy white man had been a shock to Macy.

“I’ve heard of you. I believe you’ve met my sister, Mel Vera. Our mother was a professor at the school.”

He nodded, “Marisol. I remember her, she was whip smart and a real pepper box. I was too sick to attend the service they had for her on campus, however my wife and our daughters came. My youngest, she had gone back for a couple classes over the years, she spoke very highly of the classes your mother taught, and of Prof.Vera.”

“Yes. I’ve heard she was a wonderful teacher.”

The older man nodded, “More than that. She was a guide. She listened to these young people and helped them get their stars sorted.”

“Their stars?”

“Us old folks, we like to dictate to those younger than us. Boss ‘em, tell them what they ought to do, we don’t listen enough and we talk too much. Marisol, she really listened and she helped them find a star to chart their path by. A talent for painting, a yearning for travel, a kind heart, whatever was special about a person, she could spot it, nurture it, and help these kids figure out how to make the most of it in this world. I imagine it made her an excellent mother, as well.”

Macy felt a sting in her eyes as a small lump began to form in her throat.

“I’m sorry, my dear. I did not mean to upset you. Old folks talking too much again, just like I said.”

“No, no. Actaully thank you. I uh.. I didn’t get to know her, my father raised me, and I got here too late to meet her.”

Mr.Straffski reached out, offering Macy a kindly squeeze at her elbow. His grey eyes were soft, if a little pained.

“Well then, I shall tell you that I can see if from speaking with you tonight, you are a good bit like her. You’re a good listener, kind, smile easily, and if your briefs and your work are anything to go by, just as intelligent and just as hard a worker.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“I ought to let you get back to your date, Prof.Vaughn. Whoever the lucky one is, they best take you for a spin about this floor or dashed if I won’t do it myself.”

“I’ll tell him when he gets here.”

“He hasn’t arrive yet?”

“No, car trouble.”

“So you drove yourself? Well this won’t do. Come, I’ll take you for a spin around the floor, if you aren’t busy. Otherwise some young, handsome man might steel you away before your date arrives.”

“You sound like you speak from experience.”, she teased as she let him lead her out onto the little dance floor in the middle of the party, his cane left leaning against the dessert table.

“I’ve been married to a beautiful doctor since we were barely 25, I am well versed in how jealous men can get of my good fortune to have been favored by such a woman.”

Macy smiled, thinking how he spoke like an old novel or how Harry sometimes sounded when he spoke. That hint of another era, when the language was a bit more formal and even flowery. Mr.Straffski was not as smooth as Harry, though she would bet he had been a regular Fred Astaire when gravity, age, and injuries hadn’t yet taken their toll on him.

They danced a whole song before she spotted Galvin in the crowd. He was making his way over to her, looking very surprised.

“I see your escort has finally appeared, so I must take my leave of you, dear.”

“I enjoyed the dance, Mr.Straffski.”

“As did I, Dr.Vaughn.”, he made to tip a hat he was not wearing. “Thank you, again.”

He walked off as Galvin came up to join her.

“That Mr.Straffski? Our primary benefactor at the lab, for the last like… hundred years?”

“Forty. And yes. He said he couldn’t let me stay in the crowd or someone might steel me away from my date.”

Galvin smiled, looking Macy up and down.

“You look amazing. Wow.”

“Thank you, not so bad yourself. I think this suit might even be better than when you were Idris-as-Bond.”

Galvin pretended to do a little strut for her.

“Well come on, I promised I was going to have you doing the Tango before the night was out.”

She let him step closer, putting his hand on her hip, his other holding her right hand, and she watched his face like Harry coached, as Galvin began leading her around the floor. It was a bit different, as he was taller than Harry and took bigger steps when they danced. She avoided his feet and did not trip on her own or her skirts as Galvin moved her around the room.

“I thought you said you didn’t know how to dance? Were you just teasing?”

“No, I got lessons.”

“Since yesterday morning? I’m impressed.”

“Harry offered. He’s really good.”

“He should start a studio, if the whole Women’s Studies thing ever dries up for him.”

She nodded, her mind wondering back to her lesson. Not that Galvin was a bad partner or that she did not enjoy being so close to him. Macy was just wondering if she would ever dance with Harry at one of these, since he technically worked in the Women’s Studies department as a professor while she was a scientist in the lab, halfway across campus from him, each answering to completely different people.

“Come on, let’s get some cheap champagne and some hors d’oeuvres!”

“Sure.”

She walked with him over to the table where they could get something to eat and each get a flute of the bubbly yellow liquid that made her nose itch as she took a sip. Galvin was right, it was cheap. Mr.Straffski noticed her and came over, his wife on his arm.

“Dr.Vaughn, it is my pleasure to introduce you to my wife. Dr. Helen Ambrose-Straffski. Helen, this is Dr.Macy Vaughn.”

The dark-haired woman reached to shake Macy’s hand, smiling brightly. She looked to have held her age a bit better than her husband, though her hands showed she had been no stranger to work or to lots of hand washing and gloves.

“It is wonderful to meet you, Dr.Vaughn.”, she said before a strange look came over her face.

“Forgive me, you just… you look so much like your mother. I mean, your sisters look like her, but there’s something… You could almost be her sister.”

“Thank you.”

“I’m sorry, forgive an old woman. I think on the past more than the future. How are you settling in?”

“Pretty well, I think. My sisters invited me to share our mothers house with them, and everyone here has been very welcoming.”

“They had better, or they’ll answer to me. Perks of being both alumni and a sponsor, you can rattle chains and make people step’n’fetch for you.”

Macy nodded, liking this woman’s spunk.

“I’m retired now, though I still like to swing my weight around from to time. Can’t have them thinking that just cause I’m old, I’m a useless female.”

She turned to Galvin, “You must be her date.”

He nodded, setting his drink aside to offer a hand.

“We work at the labs together.”

“Ah yes, I remember. I met you when I took a tour last month. You had the cleanest work station I had seen in an age.”

“Thank you.”, Galvin said with enough of a confused tone that Macy almost chuckled. It was an interesting thing to be remembered for.

“Well, we had best let the two of you get back to working the room. It was a pleasure to meet you, Dr.Vaughn. And thank you for dancing with this old coot.”

Mr.Straffski smiled, hugging his wife closer to his side. They both waved and walked off, leaving Macy smiling as she watched them move into the crowd, mingling and teasing as they went. That was what she wanted someday, someone she could just be with in any situation, able to tease and laugh with each other.

“Macy? Macy?”

Spinning around, she realized that Galvin must have been trying to talk to her while she was daydreaming.

“You alright?”

“Sorry, just thinking.”

“Ah. Everything okay?”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m fine. All good.”

“Well, the rest of our lab just walked in with their dates. Think we should go say Hi?”

“Sure. Lead the way.”

**~*~*~*~**

Macy walked up to the house, having enjoyed the short walk from the school. She had taken a Lyft to the party and didn’t wish to call for another so late in the evening. She had her pepper spray and her telekinesis, so she figured she was alright to walk home the short distance between the University and the Vera house.

Pulling her wrap a little closer, she was glad that Harry had texted her from wherever he had been when she left, to remind her of the chill they were expecting that evening. It had been thoughtful of him. Maggie had rushed into her room and read the text over Macy’s shoulder, then disappeared back into her own room only to return a moment later with the shimmering black wrap.

“It was mom’s. She had let me borrow it right before… It’ll look great with your dress and with your bag. Not sheer, so it’ll be warm, but not bulky.”

She had thanked Maggie, then let Maggie around it around her shoulders and spin her to look in the mirror. Sometimes, she thought she had become Maggie’s new favorite doll. Especially after that eventful Halloween party.

As she rounded the last corner, the house came into clear view. The lights were on in the loft and the living room, indicating that Harry was upstairs probably still grading papers while Mel and Maggie had likely waited up to get all the juicy details of Macy’s date. She loved her sisters. Really and truly loved them, but having sisters was something she was still getting used to.

A few minutes later, she was unlocking the front door and coming in to find Maggie in a fluffy robe and her slippers, hands wrapped around a mug. Mel stood a few steps behind in a giant, lacy robe and cheetah print PJs, her own ALICE IN WONDERLAND mug in hand. Sometimes Macy thought Mel never drank out of anything else.

“So?”, Maggie asked.

“So what?”

“How did it go? Did he just die when he saw how hot you looked? Did you need a mop for all the drool?”

Mel and Macy both groaned in unison.

“What? She’s like royally hot, she’s even in purple. She’s regal!”

Macy smiled at her baby sister’s statement as the two younger witches stepped back to allow Macy enough room to actually get inside. That’s when she caught a whiff of what was in their mugs.

“That smells amazing.”

“Harry made it. He was making some after he finished the coffee you made him, and he offered to add enough chocolate so we could have some too, so we took him up on it.”

“It’s really good.”, Mel added.

“I’m not surprised. I know you two want juicy details, but honestly I got there and talked to Mr.Straffski and some others, then Galvin showed up, we danced for a couple minutes, then we spent the rest of the evening getting pulled into one group after another, with people asking about our research, the new bosses, and all sorts of boring stuff like that. I nearly fell asleep twice.”

“Mr.Straffski?”, Mel questioned.

“Yeah, he said he knew our mother and that he’d met you. His wife said that we look like Marisol.”

Mel’s eyes dampened and Maggie reached, giving her sister a one-armed hug and leaning her head on Mel’s shoulder. Mel sniffled a bit, tilting her head to lay on Maggie’s. As much as Macy knew Maggie would do the same for her if she got teary-eyed over something with their mother, seeing the two like this with each other still made her feel like a third wheel. And made a flash of anger pass, that Marisol denied her a chance to share that with her sisters.

“If you two don’t mind, I think I’m gonna head to bed. My feet are killing me and I can’t wait to take my hair out of these pins.”

Both women nodded, moving aside so she could head to the kitchen for a glass of water, then up to her room. She almost didn’t notice Harry at the kitchen island as she reached into a cabinet for a tall plastic cup.

“Still grading?”

She could see the papers stacked in four neat piles, and judging by the amount of red ink on the top page of each stack, it was according to letter grade they were going to get.

“Almost done. Just two more from my Honors class. They are easy to read. Dull as watching paint dry, but easy. How did the night go?”

“I met Mr.Straffski and his wife. He even danced with me for a little bit before Galvin got there.”

Harry set his papers aside, leaning forward a bit to listen, a small smile playing on his lips.

“Oh really? He still smooth as ever?”, he asked with a grin.

“Pretty close, I’d say. He teased about my dancing with someone so old. I told him he wasn’t the oldest person I’d danced with this week.”

He chuckled, “Shame on you, charming old men.”

“He talked about my mother a little, all good things.”

Harry nodded, letting out a sigh.

“He liked Marisol a great deal. She thought highly of both he and his wife, and I’m pretty sure anything Marisol thought the school needed, Dr.Straffski was ready to write her a check to get it started.”

“I got that same feeling while talking to them.”, then she remembered something else Dr.Straffski said. “She told me that I look a lot like Marisol, more like her sister than her daughter.”

The Whitelighter nodded, his face showing that he was remembering something.

“In more than appearance, Macy. She was a good listener and she was very good at keeping people from realizing how much she had going on in her head, and in her heart. She never wanted to burden anyone else, while happily taking on the burdens of others.”

“Yeah. Her husband said she helped kids find their stars, it sounded very sweet when he explained it, before Galvin got there and Mr.Straffski bowed out.”

Harry offered a soft look, “He’s a gentleman of great class, Mr.Straffski. He and his wife have been a God-send to the school over the years. When Marisol pointed out there was an issue with homelessness on the campus, they bought a house a few blocks from the school, set up a trust fund to pay for the upkeep and some basics like groceries, shampoo, and the like, and set up a shelter of sorts. Students can stay there overnight, they just have to be taking 9 or more class hours and have a C+ average, then they’ve got a few rules about when the lights go out, making your own bed, and helping fix meals. They are in the process of buying a second one, that way they can have it so people identifying as Female can go to the one they have now, and those who identify as Male can go to the newer one on the other side of campus. Your mother got volunteers together to help staff the house so there is always someone there to make sure no one walks into an empty house and is too scared to come back later when people are around.”

“Wow. They didn’t mention that.”

“I didn’t figure they would.”, Harry explained.

“They were very sweet while I spoke with them. I couldn’t get over how proud he was to introduce her to people and how much they cut up with each other. I think everybody in the room was jealous of them before the night was out.”

Before she could say more, a huge yawn erupted from her, making her eyes water a bit as she covered her mouth with the back of her hand.

“Sorry. Afraid I didn’t get to sit at all during the party and they didn’t have a single thing with any caffeine in it.”

“Don’t worry about it.”, Harry told her with a smile. “Sleep well.”

“You too, whenever you get done.”

He nodded, and Macy got her glass of water. Just as she was exiting the room, Harry called out.

“Put some Epson salt in some warm water and soak your feet for a little while. It’ll take the soreness out of them from the shoes and the walking.”

“Thanks.”

He gave her a small wave to go on to bed, and she smiled. Pulling up her hem, she ascended the stairs to her room, already planning out where to get a container and grab some of the Epson salts to give her feet a mini-spa treatment while she pulled all the pins out of her hair and cleaned her makeup off. That would give her feet a good amount of time in the hot water, for them to feel functional again.

Upstairs, she found the pan and the salt, getting some hot water going in the sink of the bathroom while she tugged the dress off and replaced it with a silky nightgown. She returned to add first the salt, then the hot water, in her pan. Then she sat in the bathroom, her feet soaking and her fingers playing Search and Rescue with her bobby pins. She had learned to do this particular hairstyle from her friend Lyssa, when they were about 14.

Next was the makeup. The wipes she splurged on a while back, were hypoallergenic and removed the makeup without leaving her skin feeling itchy or dried out. She still washed her face off in the sink with some warm water and applied her favorite lilac-scented cream. Her scalp definitely felt much better with her hair freed from the pins.

Her feet were pruny as she dried them off and shoved fuzzy aloe-socks on, then dumped her salty water into the tub drain. Idly, she wondered how often Marisol had done anything like this. Removing her makeup and hair pins while soaking her feet, or even just soaking in the bath with the radio on and the window opened to let the fresh, warm, summer air in.

Sometimes, Macy would catch herself feeling as though she might turn around and see Marisol there. Some of those times, she could identify the trigger, such as opening a cupboard and getting a whiff of what she now knew to be Marisol’s favorite perfume. Other times, she was not sure what made her think Marisol was hovering just out of her sight and would be there when she turned around.

Once she had finished cleaning up, Macy headed down the hall to her room. The bed called to her and she eagerly returned to it. She pulled the covers over herself as she settled into her favorite spot a little right of center, hugging the pillow closely as she lay on her side with her face to the door. She preferred laying on her left side, but she could not sleep with her back to a door. Never had been able to.

Sleep came quickly for her, tugging her into a dreamworld all her own. One where there was a wedding and she wore a pale purple bridesmaids gown and some little white and yellow flowers in her hair. A tap on the shoulder drew her attention away from where Mel danced in a white suit next to a taller woman in a white dress, and Maggie dance in her own pale purple gown, with a tall, dark-haired man. A warm hand reached out for her own, and then lead her out to dance near Mel and Maggie. Marisol passed by in a pale yellow dress with blue and white flowers printed on it.

The warm hands pulled her a little closer and she leaned against the warm chest. She could see a little dark chest hair peaking over where he had unbuttoned the top couple buttons of his shirt in the warmth of the outdoor, summer reception. One of the warm hands moved, stroking little patterns against her back, making her melt further into his chest, comfortable and safe. He always made her feel so safe when he held her close.

Nuzzling his neck a bit, she smiled into the skin there. He smelled of fresh linen, Earl Gray, and that unique scent magic seemed to carry. She could hear Maggie laughing about something and Mel’s snort at Maggie’s antics. There was a warmth here she could hold onto for all her days. She was home. "Finally", she thought. She was _home_.


End file.
